Ida Friederike Görres
One of the seminal Catholic thinkers of the twentieth century
Introduction to the Life and Work of Ida Friederike Görres
Ida Friederike Görres (1901–1971) was an influential Catholic writer and thinker known for her penetrating studies on sanctity, the Church, and the spiritual life. Though widely read in the mid‑20th century, she is less known today—despite praise from major figures like Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), who called her “a brave and insightful voice given to the Church.”
This course will introduce the Catholic author Ida Friederike Görres (née von Coudenhove-Kalergi) and explore central themes in her work: the saints and sanctity, marriage, being Catholic, and the Church. The readings will consist of approximately one chapter of her work per week.
Ida Görres was the daughter of a Habsburg Empire diplomat and a Japanese mother. She was born in German-speaking Bohemia in 1901 and died in Germany in 1971. Following a spiritual awakening at age fourteen and, later, a two-year period in the novitiate of the Mary Ward Sisters in Austria, she devoted the remainder of her life to her work as a Catholic lay author. She played an active role in and was deeply infl uenced by the “Catholic Youth Movement,” a Catholic renewal in Germany from ca. 1919 to the early 1930s, led by fi gures such as Fr. Romano Guardini. She married in 1934. She was a well-known author among German-speaking Catholics during her lifetime. At her funeral in 1971, Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, with whom she corresponded, gave the eulogy.
Why She Matters Today?
Modern scholars describe her as “One of the seminal Catholic thinkers of the twentieth century.”
Yet she was largely forgotten after her death—especially in Europe—because her work didn’t fit the emerging post‑Vatican II trends. Interest has recently revived, especially in the U.S., where new translations are appearing.
class schedule time and dates
Ida Ferderike Gorres with Dr. Jennifer Bryson
- April 14, 2026 (Tuesday 7 pm – 8:30 pm ) PST
- April 28, 2026 (Tuesday 7 pm – 8:30 pm ) PST
- May 05, 2026 (Tuesday 7 pm – 8:30 pm ) PST
- May12, 2026 (Tuesday 7 pm – 8:30 pm ) PST
- May 19, 2026 (Tuesday 7 pm – 8:30 pm ) PST
- May 26, 2026 (Tuesday 7 pm – 8:30 pm) PST
SYLLABUS
Ida Friederike Görres on the Saints, Marriage, Being Catholic, and the Church
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Ida Friederike Görres on the Saints, Marriage, Being Catholic, and the Church
Here are short book trailers (1.5 to 2 minutes each) for the two books we will use in this course.
INSTRUCTOR:
Jennifer S. Bryson is the translator of several books and essays by Ida Friederike Görres from German to English. She holds a BA from Stanford and an MA and PhD from Yale. She is a Fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in Washington, DC. Jennifer was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is a Catholic convert. Read more at jenniferbryson.net.